Bella and Mike : Pool Party Lovin'
by ptrtool1999
Summary: Edward has not yet returned for Bella in New Moon, and Graduation draws near. Mike invites most of the Senior class to his house for a pool party, where Bella decides to step out of her zombie shell and indulge in some drinking and fun. And what will Edward think when he returns?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : Takes place in New Moon, about 9 months after the Cullens left. They have not returned yet, and Bella is at a Graduation pool party at Mike Newton's house.**

**UPDATE 5-1-13: For some reason the whole first part of this story was never even uploaded, and I never even realized it! so here is the repost!**

**Stephanie Meyer owns all. Rated M for mature readers and content. **

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**Bella POV : **

**4 weeks to Graduation**

I stood in my room, anxiously waiting for Angela to pick me up for tonight's party at Mike's. My stomach was fluttering with a touch of nerves, but I pushed my fear down and forced myself to relax. I looked at my appearance one more time in my mirror, turning sideways to study my reflection from all angles. My red blouse was definitely flattering, and the bikini top I wore underneath gave me pretty decent cleavage. And I liked the way my denim shorts made my legs and butt look really good.

Satisfied with my appearance, I walked downstairs to wait for my friend's arrival.

Tonight, I would be going to my first high-school party. I had never attended these kinds of things in Phoenix, and my first year in Forks was spent either with Edward, or as a dysfunctional zombie. So there had not been many opportunities for me to get out and act like the irresponsible teenager that my mother and father kept trying to tell me was sometimes healthy to be.

After enough prodding from them, and my slow-but-steady improvement from 'Post-Edward Shock Trauma' (PEST, as Angela liked to call it), I felt like I was ready to go out and party.

Tonight, Miss middle-aged Bella was going to take a back-seat to the impulse-driven young girl that I had been repressing for my entire life.

My mental and physical health had improved greatly over the past six weeks, after hitting a low point during Spring Break. I felt like I was finally moving on, and PEST was now firmly in my rear-view mirror.

Looking back, I recognized that the defining moment of my 'rehabilitation' came just in-time. There I stood, at the top of the cliffs at La Push, ready to jump into the churning surf just to feed my delusions of the disembodied voice of Edward asking me to be safe and scolding me when I did something reckless. So, to further fuel that inane fantasy that he actually cared for my well-being, I had somehow foolishly decided that a leisurely dive off of a one-hundred foot cliff - in the middle of a hurricane, no less - was the recipe to satisfy my craving for an Edward-fix.

Luckily for me - and for my family and friends, I imagine - I had come to my senses before I had made the fateful plunge; and I walked back to my truck, and returned home to a worried Jacob and my devastated Father, who had just come back from dropping Harry Clearwater's body at the morgue.

I had an epiphany then; I realized that the only thing my adrenaline seeking behavior would accomplish is getting me killed and making my parents and Jacob suffer.

That was the last time I had done anything purposefully reckless.

I slowly re-integrated myself back with my social circle, renewing friendships that had gone stale and forging new ones where I could. College applications became my focus, and suddenly I was looking forward to the future with hope.

Jacob had been thrilled, of course, at my rapid recovery, and began to put more pressure on me to begin a relationship with him. But unfortunately for him, as the ever-present hole in my chest got smaller and smaller, and eventually sealing itself up for good, my absolute need for Jacob's presence diminished. I still enjoyed his company immensely, and he was without a doubt my best-friend; but the last thing I needed at that point was to dive head-first into another heavy romance, especially as I now knew that I would be leaving Forks for good once I graduated.

I missed the sun, and warmth, and the feel of heat on my face. And I knew that Jacob would be in Forks for the duration, and that any future with him would handcuff me to this dreary town where the only dependable thing were clouds and rain.

I tried explaining this to him, telling him I wanted to re-invigorate my life; and that love and commitment were things I wanted to put on the back-burners for a while.

Needless to say, he wasn't thrilled with me, and acted like a jilted boyfriend. It was during this time that he showed his age - that of a sixteen year old boy - and we had begun to drift apart. I had not spent much time with him lately, and he was being spiteful and would not return my calls. I regretted this, but I had to move forward, on my own terms.

So here I was, ready for my first party.

I was thrilled.

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Angela arrived right on time at eight-thirty, and we chatted on the way to Mike's house. She told me his parent's were out of town at a big sporting goods convention, and he had the house to himself. Luckily, the weather had been very warm in Forks, and he decided to turn the event into a pool party.

As we pulled-up and parked at the curb, I was a little nervous at the number of kids that were streaming into Mike's house. I had never been to the Newton's before, and was surprised at the size of their home. It was a large, 70's style deco design, with wood shingles and brick. A large, fenced-in yard with close-cropped grass gave them a fair amount of privacy from their neighbors.

When we walked in via the front door, Mike was there to greet us.

"Bella! You came!" Mike's smile was wide, and his eyes sparkled at me. It was hard to not feel gratified by his attention, and I smiled at him in return, which only made his grin even wider.

Angela coughed from my side, and he turned to her in surprise. "Angela! Sorry! I didn't see you at first! Come in, come in!" Angela just laughed, and we walked through the entryway and through the house to the patio, where everyone was hanging-out.

There were maybe two-dozen people there already, and I recognized most of them from school. There were a few eyebrows raised in my direction, which didn't surprise me - I was definitely not a regular on the party scene. But I held my head-up, meeting their questioning glances with a smile, as I tried not to blush.

I made my way over to the drinks table, and Ben came over to join us.

"Bella, what are you having?" Ben asked, gesturing towards the table filled with bottles and mixers.

"Umm, I'm not sure?" I replied, uncertain to what I wanted to drink.

Angela smiled at me kindly. "Ben, Bella and I will have Vodka Cranberries. Right Bella?" she asked, winking at me.

Thankful for her advice - I didn't know much about mixed-drinks, after all - I nodded my head and was soon handed a reddish-colored drink in a tall cup, overflowing with ice. I took a careful sip, and was surprised by how good it tasted. It was cool and fruity, and I soon finished it and asked Ben to make me another.

I spent the next half hour chatting with my friends, feeling warmed by the alcohol and relaxed by the music. We eventually made our way over to the pool, and I watched as Jessica peeled off her top, her large breasts barely held in by a very skimpy blue bikini. Angela followed shortly after, and I felt several sets of eyes on me from Mike, Tyler, and a few other boys.

As the splashes of my friends jumping into the water sounded in the background, I decided I had to be brave. So I took a deep breath, and pulled my top off and shimmied out of my denim shorts.

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**A/N - Chapter 2 picks up where the messed-up first post started.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Pool Party Lovin'**

**Chapter 2**

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Previously:

_I spent the next half hour chatting with my friends, feeling warmed by the alcohol and relaxed by the music. We eventually made our way over to the pool, and I watched as Jessica peeled off her top, her large breasts barely held in by a very skimpy blue bikini. Angela followed shortly after, and I felt several sets of eyes on me from Mike, Tyler, and a few other boys._

_As the splashes of my friends jumping into the water sounded in the background, I decided I had to be brave. So I took a deep breath, and pulled my top off and shimmied out of my denim shorts._

As I looked-up, I saw Mike staring at me with a goofy looking grin, and I was tipsy enough that I was able to smile back at him and chuckle at the funny face he was making.

'Wow, Bella," he gushed, his eyes traveling over my body. I flushed from his stare, but I wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment, or from nerves. My stomach felt funny, and little rushes of heat traveled down my spine.

As I made my way over to the pool, I saw him pull his shirt off and stride over to me. I had never noticed before, but his chest was well toned, and his stomach was fairly tight. He clearly spent time in the gym.

He was grinning at me, and jumped straight into the water, splashing everyone still standing by the pool's edge.

"Mike!" I laughed, wiping the water from my eyes. I sat down at the pool's edge, and let myself slide slowly into the water. It was cool, but it felt nice on my skin, which was sweaty from the unusually warm and humid night.

Mike and I splashed around with my other friends, and Ben got out after a while to bring Angela and I more drinks. I probably was on my third or fourth, but I had stopped counting and was just enjoying the buzz. Angela was also a bit drunk, and she accidentally spilled the entire contents of her drink into the water.

Mike put his head on my shoulder from behind, looking at the others with amusement. "I see the you finally loosened up just a little, huh?"

The alcohol was burning its way through my system, and my head felt fuzzy and heavy. Mike's body was warm, and felt nice against my skin which had turned cold and pebbled from the cool water of the pool.

I leaned back against his chest, and he looked at me seriously, his face only a few inches from mine, and i felt one of his hands land on my hip. The warmth of it felt nice, and when he slipped one of his fingers into the side string of the bikini I didn't stop him.

I slowly turned around to face him, the side of my body rubbing along his, and his finger, which had been inside the string on one of my hips, was now underneath the back of my suit, resting on one of my butt cheeks.

Not really comprehending my actions, and observing them as though they were someone else's, I watched as my hands made their way up Mike's chest, and splay openly against his upper body. Mike's eyes, which had been focused on my cleavage, slowly rose up to meet mine.

I am not sure what he saw there, but he slowly moved his face closer to mine, until barely an inch was separating us. I could feel his warm breath on my nose and lips, and his blue eyes were burning into mine.

"Bella?" he asked, uncertain, as if wondering what I was doing. Never before had I given him any reason to think anything would ever happen between us.

I looked up, meeting his eyes, and trapped my bottom lip with my teeth. My right hand rose further, caressing up his chest, and slowly wrapped itself around his neck.

This was all Mike needed; with a slow moan, he moved his face in towards mine, and his lips came into contact with my own. The warmth felt unfamiliar to me; I was used to cool, marble kisses. Not soft, warm ones, with lips that shaped themselves to mine. Somewhere in my befuddled mind, I realized I was kissing Mike Newton,at a pool party with about fifty other kids from my high school. But I couldn't find it in me to care, as my other hand came up to wrap around Mikes neck and grip his hair, tugging him closer to me.

Our bodies flushed together, and I felt the warmth of him along my skin. His arousal was evident, and was pushing up his shorts and was trapped up against my stomach between us, the bottom of it pressing right up against the apex of my thighs, where it ignited a powerful desire in my veins.

I let out a breathy moan, and Mike's mouth opened, and I felt his tongue against my lips, demanding entrance; I opened my mouth in response, and our tongues began a slow dance, tangling themselves together, as I felt Mike's hands moving on my back, gripping me against him.

We continued our kissing, both of us getting hotter, and our hands were now roaming on each others backs; his went lower, and I felt him squeezing my butt under the water. I moaned into him, pressing my pelvis into his erection, and he almost jumped in surprise as he groaned into my mouth. I felt his hips pressing upwards against me, giving me delicious friction against my now very overheated core.

Without another word, Mike pulled back from our kiss, gave me a very heated look, and took my hand and led me silently to the side of the pool and out. I followed along in a sort of amped-up trance, suddenly very cold from leaving the water. Mike grabbed his towel from the ground, wrapped it around me, and led me into his house.

Following him in my stuporous daze, we were climbing the stairs and were suddenly in his room. The door closed, and Mike turned towards me, his hands coming up and framing my face.

"Bella, I have wanted you for so long. You are so fucking beautiful," Mike said to me, his voice a forceful whisper.

The rational side of me was questioning what I was doing, but the drunk side - the side that was done with being a zombie and would wait for Edward no longer - pulled him to me for a kiss. He gasped into my mouth as my hands began to roam his body, and I slipped my hands underneath the back of his suit and squeezed his backside. It was warm, and flexed under my fingers, and I liked the feel of his smooth flesh.

Groaning now, he pulled me, still locked with my lips in a feverish kiss, over to his bed. We both fell onto it, with his weight pressing down on me, and his hard arousal again pressing where I wanted it most. Heat flared in my core, sending light jolts of fire through my body. His hands came up, and began to roam on my chest, leaving me a panting mess. His mouth was kissing my jawline, my neck, my breastbone, and his hands made short work of my bikini top.

He sat back on his knees, looking down on me as he removed my top. My nipples were hard, and jutting outwards and demanding attention. My breath was coming in short gasps, and I stared up at Mike as he looked down on my exposed chest.

"So fucking beautiful, Bella," Mike moaned, before latching onto one of my hardened peaks with his mouth.

I gasped in response, clutching him to me tightly. His other hand came up and began working my other breast, teasing my nipple and pinching it on occasion. I was panting now, loving the sensations he was eliciting in me. My body was suddenly my new best friend.

After a few minutes of this delicious torture, Mike was again kissing me, his tongue slowly working against mine, and his hands were roaming against the bare skin of my stomach, and down my thighs. My hips were rising off the bed, and my arousal was thick and heavy in my bikini bottoms, and I suddenly wanted them off. My core was throbbing, and I wanted his hands on me.

His hands made circles on my stomach, closer and closer to where I wanted them. I let my own hands, which had been in his hair, wander down his chest and to his swimming trunks. I let my fingers lightly wander over the prominent bulge that had made me feel so good before, and Mike let out a breathy moan. He began muttering under his breath as I stroked him over his shorts, letting my hands explore up and down his length through the thin briefs. His hands continued to wander towards their goal, until finally he let his fingertips run lightly over my bikini covered sex.

My body convulsed as his fingers trailed through my soaking bottoms, and he pressed lightly right at my apex, and lightly teased around my entrance, pushing the fabric into my wet core with his hand as his pinky finger worked around the edges of my bikini bottoms, just tickling the edge of my mound. I was moaning loudly now, the fire in my body shedding me of all my previous inhibitions.

My hands began moving on him faster, pressing and pulling his length through his trunks. I wanted to feel him, hold him in my hand, stroke him to pleasure. I wanted his shorts gone and him pressing into me again with that delicious hardness. I began pushing at his shorts, and he helped me by lifting his hips and sliding them down his legs. When they were past his knees I used my feet to push his shorts the rest of the way off his legs.

As they hit the floor, my hand came around from his backside and grasped his length, and I felt him exhale loudly into my shoulder as I ran my hand up and down, first lightly with my fingertips, and then wrapping my fingers around him and stroking him in a steady rhythm. Long lost conversations with my mother, and things overheard in locker rooms came back to me, and I altered my pressure and tried twisting my wrist to give him different sensations. I turned slightly towards him, allowing me to use my other hand to grasp and roll his balls. He seemed to like this, as moaned out my name in a grunting gasp.

I spread the fluid I felt at his tip up the sides of his shaft, concentrating pressure under the head. As I fondled his swollen testicles, I felt them tighten up and pull in towards his body.

"Oh, fuck Bella, slow down. Its too good, I don't want to cum yet," panted Mike. As I removed my hand from his balls, and slowed down my stroking, I felt him pull the strings from my bottoms and lift them away. He sat back, knees bent under my thighs, and I watched as his hungry eyes wandered down my now fully exposed body. My core was fully open to his dark gaze, wetness pooling there and soaking my curls, and my musky scent was hanging heavy in the air. I should have felt shy, but the heat in my center had robbed me of my shyness, and I spread my legs wider for him, grasping his hand and pulling it towards my aching sex. He watched with with big eyes as I drew his hand to my triangle, making clear what I wanted.

My hips flew off the bed as he let his fingers dip shallowly through my folds, up through my curls, and back down towards the bottom of my sex. It felt so good, and he soon was teasing my nub with his thumb as his fingers began to dip into my entrance, as he sat back on his heels and watched me get off on his hand. His face wore a goofy expression of wonder and lust, and I stopped stroking him for a moment and pulled him back down beside me for a wet, slow kiss. Our tongues danced slowly together, stoking the fire building in me, as his fingers thoroughly explored the area between my legs.

"You are so wet and soft, Bella. And you smell so good," he murmured as he kissed my shoulder, my neck, the curve of my breasts."So sweet. So beautiful. Oh Bella, you are so perfect,". Mike's soft words and talented hands inflamed me further, and I felt a tight coiling beginning in my belly, radiating outward from where his fingers where stroking me so deliciously. He was dipping several fingers in me now, thrusting them into me boldly, and his thumb continued to circle, faster and harder, against my nub.

My breath was coming in short gasps now, and my hand was again on him, and began moving faster on his shaft. I looked down and watched my hand as it moved on him, up and down, and the swollen, purple head was leaking more liquid. I rubbed my thumb over the weeping tip, and he shuddered every time I did. He also seemed to like it when I tugged on his balls on the upstrokes, and my motion increased further as I felt him now plunging his fingers into me at a steady rhythm.

I again used my other hand to roll his tight sack, increasing my stroking at the same time. My arm was getting tired, but I liked the feeling of power I got from making him feel good. I stroked him even faster, fanning the underside of his sensitive sack with my left hand and rolling the tight nuts back and forth.

"Oh Bella, shit, I am going to come soon. I want you to come first, Bella. So beautiful, come for me Bella," Mike panted out in breathy, disjointed speech, as his fingers plunged into my core, making squishing and sucking sounds. which were as loud as my panted breathing.

His words pushed me right over the edge, and I felt my orgasm coming now, and my hand began to tug harder and faster on Mikes penis, and as I began to feel the first wave crashing over me Mike suddenly let out a loud grunt and he spasmed in my hand, and I watched as streams of white fluid erupted from his pearly tip in four long, wet spurts, that landed on my hand and his belly and my thighs. I clenched down on his fingers, riding out my own release, my voice keening it's approval without my permission.

I clenched my thighs together, trapping Mike's hand against me as I rode out my orgasm. My hands slowed on him, and his panting began to slow. He turned to me, and gave me a slow, wet kiss, as his hands came back up and rubbed my sides and bottom.

"Damn, Bella, you are so amazing. i knew you would be. I always knew it," he exclaimed, slowly showering my face, nose, and chin with kisses. I felt too glorious in the afterglow to be worried about later, or tomorrow, so I turned towards him, snuggling my head into the crook of his shoulder and hugged him close, reveling in the warmth of his body. He continued kissing me softly, whispering words to me.

Mike continued rubbing his hands over my backside, along my cleft, and back to my dripping sex from behind. His actions was stoking the fire in me again, and I let me hands wander over his chest and down to his penis, which was hard and standing at attention again. From somewhere deep in my brain this might have surprised me, as I had heard so often about men needing 'recovery time', but my thoughts had long since been rendered incoherent, and I happily began stroking him again as I kissed down his chest, kissing and sucking his nipples.

His hands were working me again, rubbing up and down through my soaking folds, plunging into me entrance, and causing my hips to roll in circles. I continued kissing down his body, until I was suddenly only inches from his twitching member. This was my first really good look at a man's anatomy, and I liked the feel of it in my hand. It made me feel powerful, being able to make him react like this.

Feeling brave, I placed a wet, sloppy kiss right on the purple tip, which caused a loud groan from Mike. I liked the flavor of him, tangy and salty but also a little sweet. I let my tongue roll over the gaping slit, and put him in my mouth, sucking lightly on the ridge along his cap, making sure to keep my teeth away from his sensitive flesh.

I felt Mike pulling my legs around, and I looked back over my shoulder to see my thighs now spread wide, one on each side of his head, with Mike laying on his back between them. He awkwardly grabbed a pillow, shoving it underneath his neck, which raised his mouth up directly to my slit, which he now attacked with his tongue. I moaned loudly at the contact, enjoying the new sensations as he lapped and sucked on me. One part of my mind cataloged that I had absolutely no sexual experience before tonight, and I was now in a 69 position with Mike Newton! But, as before, it felt too good so I paid little attention to that part of my brain.

I turned my attention back to his throbbing erection, using my hands and mouth in combination to suck, roll and fondle everything I could reach. We continued like this, both pleasuring each other, until I felt my orgasm coming again, coiling through my abdomen, and spreading down my legs, causing them to shake uncontrollably. My thighs locked tighter around his head as I crashed over the edge, and I sucked him as deep as I could, feeling him slide down my throat so far that I had to breathe through my nose. One of my hands pulled on his balls while the other scratched and squeezed his backside, and soon I felt him expand and throb. Suddenly, he let out a loud groan, and I felt him releasing in my throat, throbbing wet and hot, his fluid filling my mouth.

I tried to swallow everything he had, while reveling in the aftershocks of my own powerful climax. After a few moments, the spurting and twitching in my mouth stopped. With a soft pop, I released his erection from my mouth, a small trace of his release dripping down the corner of my mouth. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, and I lifted my leg clear over his head and climbed back up next to him, laying alongside him with my leg draped over his thighs, my knee pressing against his now softening penis.

"Jesus, Bella, that was amazing. I've never felt anything like that, " Mike said. I looked up at him, and kissed him softly on the chin, smiling and sighing my agreement.

Mike looked down at my upturned face, a happy grin splitting his face wide. He looked exuberant, and he played softly with my hair as he stared at me, mumbling softly.

As I slowly drifted off, I felt more relaxed than I had in a long time. And the last thought that reached me before my consciousness slipped away to the land of dreams was ... I feel free

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**A/N - Several requests to continue this one - and I do have an epilogue written - its pretty funny; she does meet Edward again, a few months later - not sure if I will clean it up soon, but eventually will be posted.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

As I walked towards the queue of graduating High School seniors, all dressed in hideous yellow gowns, Mike Newton stopped his conversation with a boy named Neil Marks and waved over to me. Mike was in the middle of the line, which was sorted alphabetically; happily, my 'S' insured I was near the end. I hoped by the time I was called up that everyone's attention span would have wavered and if I tripped on the way across the stage, not too many people would notice.

Mike's smile was wide and warm as he waved, and I blushed as my mind wandered back to the night of Mike's party, and my first sexual experience.

* * *

There was no doubt that it had been an amazing night; but I definitely felt shy and awkward when I had risen to get dressed. Mike had been goofily charming, of course; he tried to put me at ease, and helped me find my clothes. We both laughed when we had to search for my bikini top, which had been thrown behind his desk.

When we walked back downstairs to the party and were met with many stares and whispers, I tried to ignore them, despite the burning of my cheeks. I was tired, and it was late, so I quietly left and made my way to my truck. But before I pulled away, Mike ran out of the house and up to my truck's window.

"Bella? Everything OK?" Mike asked, his smile fading a little, but showing real concern in his voice.

I blushed, and smiled at his chivalry. "Yes, Mike, I'm fine. I'm just tired, and I don't want to be subjected to Jessica's questions and Lauren's nasally snips."

Mike chuckled, shaking his head in agreement. His goofy smile returned, and he looked at me with adoration in his eyes. "You're right! I wish it wasn't my party and I could come with you!"

I laughed too, happy that he was making this easy for me. I smiled up at him. "Thanks, Mike. I had a great time. And I would appreciate it if you could, well, umm, keep quiet about what we did." My cheeks flushed, and though I wanted to avert my eyes, I kept my gaze steady.

Mike smiled again, and his eyes were shining when he surprised me and leaned-in to kiss my cheek. "Don't worry, Bella. I promise I won't say anything to anyone. If they ask, I will just tell them after our kiss in the pool we just went upstairs and kissed a little and talked mostly. They might not believe me, but I won't give them anything they could use to start a rumor."

I was shocked at his words; I had expected him to at least tell his friends. Despite my complete inexperience when it came to physical relations with boys, I had heard enough gossip during my four years in high school to know that boys liked to brag to their friends about their sexual conquests.

So to learn that Mike would be respectful, and keep our tryst quiet, made me instantly grateful to him.I placed my hand on his, which had curled around my window jamb. "Thanks Mike. I appreciate that," I said, and then, with honesty, added, "You're a really great guy."

His smile was wide, all his teeth showing, and his blue eyes were shining like clear ocean waters.

He took a deep breath, like he was psyching himself for something, and I had an idea what was coming next. "Bella? Would you go out with me sometime? We can keep it very casual, even as friends. But I would like to spend some time with you before we go off to college and probably never see each other again." He laughed when he said this last part, but the earnestness in his voice was undeniable.

I thought to myself how many times he had asked me this question, and how many times I had rejected him. I think he expected me to reject him again, as his shoulders were tense and his smile no longer looked as wide. He had wanted me since the first day I had arrived in Forks, and out of everyone here I had met, only Angela had been as reliable a friend.

I thought back, then, about who had first made me feel welcome in Forks, and who I could count among my real friends.

There was Angela, of course, and Jacob. Perhaps Emily as well, as we had bonded during my visits to the reservation.

And, I realized, Mike. He had always been there for me.

And, after tonight, I saw Mike in a very different light.

A few seconds had passed, and I could see his shoulders sagging as he thought I would reject him. So, before I gave it any more thought, my mouth was curving in a smile as I answered him. "Yes, Mike. I would like that. Call me tomorrow."

The smile that lit up his face was, I have to admit, quite dazzling.

When I returned to school the Monday after the party, I was extremely nervous about the reactions of the other students who were at the party. But besides a few stares – nothing compared to the ones that I endured when I started dating Edward – the day did not go so badly. Apparently, 'hooking up' at a party was not a big deal , and when Jessica cornered me at lunch to ask what happened, I repeated the story that Mike had suggested – that we talked and kissed a little.

She soon lost interest, and I left for work in a good mood and with a smile on my face.

Mike and I laughed and joked that day at work – It was a quiet afternoon – and made plans to go out that weekend.

As I watched his dimples curl-up in an adorable fashion, and his blue eyes sparkle with joy, I realized that Mike Newton was actually quite cute. And he had proven to be trustworthy and loyal.

A girl could do worse.

Over the next couple of weeks, Mike and I had gone out several times, and we had a lot of fun. The only hiccup, really, was Jacob. At first, Jacob was not too happy about my dating Mike, but when I told Jacob that I was leaving Forks – for good, come August – he finally seemed to understand that I wasn't going to dive into a relationship with anyone, and that I really wanted to keep Jacob in my life as my best friend.

So Jake and I patched-up our differences, and our friendship blossomed again. I would visit him at LaPush, and we would have fun riding the bikes our hanging-out with the pack at Emily's or just walking along First Beach.

I was healing. I thought of Edward and the Cullen's less and less, and I could say their names without feeling the hole in my chest.

Mike and I dated a few more times and continued to have fun. It was never serious, and we both knew that we would soon be going our separate ways.

But that didn't stop us from enjoying each other. On two separate occasions, we had gone as far as we had the night of his party, but I had not given him my virginity - though it had come very close the last time we went out. He had taken me out on a night-time beach picnic, and we shared wine and cheese and fruit and enjoyed the stars on a rare cloud-free evening. I was relaxed, and happy, and when I felt around to feel the hole inside my chest, I realized that it was all stitched-up.

After dinner, I had surprised Mike when I initiated a kiss, which then quickly heated. We started slowly but soon worked our clothes off and drove each other to a frenzy, and when he rubbed himself up and down through my curls, I had almost given-in and asked him to make love to me. Some last vestiges of 'sweet Bella' stopped me though, and Mike didn't seem upset, which earned him a lot of points in my book.

We did have a great night of fooling-around, and after our third or fourth release we spent hours just cuddling on the blanket and enjoying the soft sounds of the waves crashing on the beach, as we talked about the future.

After he dropped-me off in the early hours of the morning, I wondered what stopped me from making love to him; and decided that if the opportunity arose again, I would take it. Mike had proven to be a trustworthy, loyal friend – well, a friend with benefits! – and had managed to keep his mouth shut about our little trysts and what we did behind closed doors.

For that – and for other things – I was grateful.

I was honestly surprised - and somewhat pleased - to find myself in this situation; I never considered myself a 'friend with benefits' kind of girl, but that seemed to be exactly what Mike and I had.

By some strange coincidence, we were both heading to school in California. But he was going to the sunny and hot University of California San Diego, and I was heading to the more northern climes of San Francisco, on an almost full-scholarship to University California, Berkeley, and I was leaving in early August to start the next stage of my life.

I had gotten a good scholarship at Berkeley, thanks to my good grades and stellar SAT scores. I had maintained a 3.8 average throughout my high school years, getting almost straight A's in everything but math. But my SAT scores put me in the 99.5 percentile – thanks to my almost perfect scores in the writing and reading sections – and I had a wide range of college opportunities and scholarship offerings to choose from.

Strangely enough, I had received a full scholarship to Dartmouth University – even though I had not even applied there – and whose 'welcome' packet had come with a letter stating that my national merit scholarship status and superlative SAT grades had won me a scholarship under their 'Stars for the future program.' I was immediately suspicious – this smelled like something Edward would do – and so I looked up their website and did some poking around.

They looked legitimate, but I knew better. So when I did some checking and found that the website and domain had only been registered earlier that month – despite the text on the site claiming a 20 year history – I knew it was bogus.

I couldn't understand at first why Edward might have done this. If I meant nothing to him, then why try and help me? But as I thought back over his words, and that way that he said that 'he would always love me…in a way" perhaps he did feel some residual fondness or guilt.

Either way, I was not accepting his charity. I didn't want it, and I didn't need it.

So it was with glee that I burned the scholarship and acceptance packets, and put their ashes into a nice fat envelope and mailed it to their house. I don't know what became of that envelope, or who might have been holding their mail for them – but it felt good to do it anyway.

* * *

The sound of someone coughing broke me from my reverie. Here I was, in my hideous yellow gown and white sandals, with my father standing at my side, telling me how proud he was of me and how we would miss me next year when I left for college. My mother, who had endured the seven hour plane flight to watch her 'baby girl' graduate, had stepped-off for a few minutes to make a call to Phil and text him a photo of my and her that my dad took with her new cell phone.

We were soon seated, and I listened to Erik Yorkie give his valedictorian speech. I looked around the small gymnasium at my classmates and friends, nodding politely to familiar faces.

The speeches continued, until, finally, we were in the line to receive our diplomas, and I was directly behind a teary and gushing Jessica Stanley, who was squeezing my hand as if we were the best of friends. Having names ending in 'S', we were near the back of the line – only a half dozen students were in the line behind me.

At last, my name was called, and I walked across the stage – without tripping or otherwise making a fool of myself - where I received a handshake from the principal and my rolled-up diploma. A short minute later, I was pressed to the back of the stage, and I was throwing my hat high into the air along with the other graduating seniors, and I was done. Finished. No more high school.

As I was pulled into hugs by my Mom, and Charlie, and then Jacob. Emily had come as well, along with Quill and Embry, and everyone gave my large Quileute friends a wide berth as they towered over everyone gathered. Billy was also there, smiling at me and offering his congratulations.

As I was hugged Jacob again, I reflected upon the fact that, had I stayed with Edward, I would spend the rest of eternity going through High School over and over again – and the thought made me cringe.

How could I have ever wanted that kind of future? At least Carlisle had a career. The rest of them were just marking time.

The assembled crowd made our way outside, and I said my goodbyes to Jacob and the Quileutes. I promised them I would come out before leaving for Jacksonville next month - where I would visit with my mom for three weeks before embarking on my college career - and I told Jacob I would call him tomorrow.

Mike walked over to me, and braved my circling Indian friends to give me a big hug, and I hugged him back, laughing quietly with him. Angela came over next, and she leaned her face down to kiss me on my cheek and give me a hug as well.

As I turned back towards my father, I saw Jacob suddenly stand up to his full height, his head whipping around to look left and right. Quil and Embry then followed suit, and Embry's hands started to shake, his gaze fixed across the parking lot towards the tree-line.

"What is it, Jake," I whispered, knowing he would hear me.

He didn't answer, but he clenched his fists and took a step forward, flanked by his Quil and Embry. All three were standing at their full height with their shoulders tensed, watching the trees as if they expected an enemy to come springing-out at them.

I followed their line of sight, frowning at a vague shadow I saw emerging from the forest, and then I gasped; for standing there – right at the edge of the tree-line - was someone I never expected to see again.

Edward.

I let my eyes wander over him, drinking the sight of him in. I realized that my memory really didn't do him justice. His bronze hair was its usual disheveled mess, and his pale white skin stood out in stark contrast to his dark blue shirt. His eyes – not the normal golden pools of honey that I was used to, but rather dark, almost black orbs, that stared at me, unblinking. Dark, almost purple shadows hung beneath the onyx of his eyes.

His face was Godlike in its beauty. A living statue of a Greek Adonis. That was what I called him once, and I had been correct. I could not imagine anyone who could be better looking than Edward.

Despite the presence of the three, giant Quiluetes shaking by my side, and the now angry and surprised stares being given him by everyone near me – Edward only had eyes for me. His eyes burned into mine from across the lot, holding me prisoner, and displaying what I once thought was love.

The shock of seeing him tore through me. Why was he back? What was he doing here? These thoughts ran through my mind, but the intensity of his gaze didn't relent, and I felt myself taking a step towards him without even realizing it; my whole being was being dazzled into submission by him.

I suddenly felt someone take my hand, and I followed the owners arm up, to see Mike looking at me with a very concerned expression. He gripped my hand tighter, and tried to keep me from walking towards Edward.

I also felt a hand on my shoulder, restraining me from moving forward, and looked-up into Jacob's concerned face. It was a mixture of fury and worry, and I felt the fogginess in my head begin to clear.

Why was I walking towards Edward? I had not even been aware that was what I was doing. I looked at him again, standing not fifty feet away from me, and he finally broke his gaze, and stared at my hand held in Mike's with an angry glare.

What was his problem? Why would he care who I held hands with? And what was he doing here?

I looked up at Mike, and watched as his eyes left mine and he returned Edward's glare. I saw Edward suddenly flinch, and again, as if something hit him. He was shaking his head, and his mouth had turned into a grim line. He trembled several times, and I realized he was reading the thoughts of my friends and was upset at whatever they were thinking.

Charlie finally turned to look at what was going on, and his face turned purple when he saw Edward standing there. I heard him curse under his breath, and take a step towards Edward.

Jacob went with him, with Quil and Embry alongside.

I had to stop this before it got violent, as I knew that Jake and Quileutes wanted very badly to hurt Edward.

"Wait!" I called out, stopping Charlie and Jacob from striding forward. "I've got this." I probably sounded more confident than I felt, but I swallowed my anxiety. I had to do this.

I released Mike's hand, and took a few steps towards Edward. His face relaxed, and that same intense expression as before came back to his eyes. A smile appeared, that same crooked smile I had fallen in love with.

But for some reason, it didn't effect me the way it used to. It wasn't _my_ smile anymore, since he was no longer _my _Edward.

And I realized, with a dawning awareness,. that I felt no pain - none whatsoever - at seeing Edward here.

Had I finally, fully, recovered? Was I completely over him? I felt a wave of calmness and certainty wash over me, as my epiphany hit_. I was over Edward Cullen_.

Edward had been right, after all. Time does heal all wounds.

As my awareness of my own feelings centered me, I realized I was very angry with Edward. Why had he returned? Was he here to play with me some more?

I took another step forward, and he beckoned me on while he smiled at me, a radiant, dazzling smile that could melt the heart of almost any girl.

But I was not that girl anymore. Not any longer. I knew better; I knew the cold, unfeeling heart that lay behind that phony smile.

I stopped my walk towards him, my hands moving upwards without any conscious thought. I felt my features morphing into an angry smirk, and I watched with satisfaction as his smile slowly slid from his face, to be replaced by confusion, then shock.

I blinked, suddenly realizing what my hands were doing. They had come up, balled into fists, except for my middle fingers, which were turned upwards and prominently displayed.

I realized, that I, Bella Swan, was giving Edward Cullen the middle finger – the classic, unequivocal, 'Fuck You' - in the middle of the Forks High parking lot in front of the entire Senior class and school faculty.

There was a moment of shocked silence before laughter and grunts sounded behind me from my friends; and I noticed that the sounds of the celebrating crowd seemed quieter. I turned my head, and many people in the crowd had stopped their celebrations to watch our little drama unfold.

And there I was, standing alone in the middle, my middle fingers prominently displayed as I gave my ex-boyfriend the bird.

I turned back to look at Edward, and I saw his shoulders sag, and his face crumple in pain. His dark eyes looked down at the ground, and he swayed on his feet. I felt a brief, momentary tug at my heartstrings, but it was fleeting, and quickly passed. This was the boy-man-monster that had broken me, and never again would I give him any power over my life.

He raised his head, one final time, his eyes searching mine for something. What he was looking for, I didn't know. Pity? Love? A second chance? I wasn't sure, and I didn't care. He would get nothing from me.

He wanted to play with me? Well I wasn't playing any longer. He could chase after his distractions for the rest of eternity, so long as he left me alone.

His hand raised by his side, feebly, as if he was reaching out for me. His expression was truly pitiable, but I wasn't fooled. I knew what an accomplished liars the Cullen's were. They would get no truck from me.

Without wasting another glance on the disheveled boy that I used to love, I turned and walked-back over to my friends and family, where I was welcomed into the warmth of their embraces, and their laughs of relief and congratulations.

After a few moments, as I was passed from hug to hug, I noticed that the noise from the crowd had again risen, and was now a hub-bub of voices. I was briefly turned around when my mom pulled-me in for a hug, and again was facing the spot where Edward had been standing mere moments before.

He was gone.

Like he never existed.

And at that moment, I finally knew, that for me - he didn't.

* * *

**A/N - And that's all she wrote!**


End file.
